Reinforced sponge and method of reinforcing it



May 13, 1952 w. E. KAUTENBERG REINFORCED sPoNGE AND METHOD oF REINFORCING 1T Filed sept. 25, 1946 INVENToR. 2215726659 w plastic material to `the Patented May 13, 1952 i ,REINFORCED `SPON GE AND TME THG!) 0F i .REINFORCING IT `William E. Kautenberg, Freeport, f-llll. ApplicationSeptember 23, 1946,SerialNo. 698,735

(Cl. 1'5-i244) 4 Claims. 1

.This-inventionrelates in-general to the method of reinforcing a block or mass of .cellular `material by inserting or engaging a number of particles of `tougher but somewhat similar flexible material therein, and vto the article produced thereby. The invention is described as applied )to a cellulose-sponge which is relatively weak if lcontinuously used and `applied and requires reinforcement to increase its wearing .qualities and to prevent the :tearing of the sponge when it is Iput-*to a severe strain such as inmopping ailoor vor. shampooinglaarug.

.,An important object of theinvention is to-pro- 'vide axcellulose type of sponge with reinforcements of umaterial which is both `flexible and Uyielding, and `which adds a denite strengthening `material tothe original sponge.

A further object of the invention is'to provide means forintroducing an interengagingand reinforcing material into `acellulose sponge.

.A furtherobject of the inventionisto provide t.means ".for `injecting a reinforcing `iexible re- `silientimaterial into an openlorcellulose sponge and 'under compression `or pressure.

Still-a further object of the invention istogpro- ,vide means for introducing 'or forcing aresilient vheatresponsive :material into poresor `openings l made tfrom .the Vsurface `of--ga sponge vso that the new :material interengages with'the Amaterial of :the sponge `andinheat treating the reinforcing material to harden, set, or vulcanize it in place.

Other'objects of the invention 'willfappear in `the `specification and` will `be apparent from the `isa-sectional .View of the spongematerial after the perforationsaremade Fig. 3 shows the meth- .od of filling the)perforationswith a plasticfhardening material; Fig. 4 illustrates means forapplying a hardening material under compression to perforations in a spongy material.; Fig. 5 is a sectional View of `an apparatus for applying perforations lof `a spongy material in accordance with this invention; Fig. 6 illustrates the apparatus of Fig. 5 in forming perforationsin a spongy material; Figs. "I,

8 and '9 are enlarged views illustrating some- 'what diagrammatically, and :in succession, the making `of 'a perforation `in spongy material, the `partial withdrawalof the perforating means'and partial entry of the .reinforcing material'into the opening, :and the complete withdrawal .of the apparatus .and the filling of an aperture with 4:the :reinforcing material;

.f'igjs afsectional viewrllustratinsthemadaterial;

'2 Fig. 11 is a sectional view illustrating an apparatus `in section for applying .a reinforcing mat `terial under pressure Vto the .perforations .of `a .a blockof cellulose sponge, ,openingsuZ formed `mand `from its surf-accor `treated `is set 'aside until-the' '23. sets 'or hardens.

spongy material which is readyfor application .to .the apparatus; and

Fig. -12is a sectional view of apiece of Vs pongy material with `reinforcing material lling .the perfollations thereof .and to Awhich heatisapplied `for vulcanizing or .settingthe reinforcing ,material.

When a .block of :cellulose sponge is used in a floor mop or for cleaning a rug, the pull or drag on this sponge material is of considerable strength, and it tends to strain the `sponge material :so that in a short `time it will tear apart or break open, .and .will `rapidly disintegrate.

The `present inventonhasfor `its objectto .provide a reinforcement fora .material of this kind which ,consists generally in `makinga number of holes in the surface of the cellulose sponge and `in vpouring reinforcing material, or 'forcing it `under .pressure rinto each individual hole. This may be done by providing an awl shape .tool to make the openings andthen pouring, filling, or injecting material into .the opening; or .the `awl itselfmaybehollow with meansfor expelling `the `reinforcing material from the endof .the hollow .teriorof .the spongematerial adjacent theopenings because of the voids and `natural vpcresand iissuresof the spongeitself.

Referring 1.now more .particularly to the drawings, a block yA of sponge .material either ,com-

prising an ordinary. sponge or more Vparticularly has a plurality of surfaces Vprefer-ably conical inshape which may be made with asinglerawl-"like instrument or by means .of a roller 21 fhaving a. number of awllikeprojections `22 therefrom.

Into these :openings `2il,"'blocks'23 of reinforcing material,'usualyilexibla resilient `and Aadherent to the sponge, 4such as ru'bberdatex211, is

introduced as `byrpouring"it from a suitable 'containeror vessel"25. The block "ofmaterial thus reinforcing material Since the reinforcing mate- `rial is liquid, Aitwill flow readily into the `natural pores, 'voids and 'fissures which are inter- 'sected bythe openings 29. AIf desired, theopenings 20 may be lled by .acompression de'vlcegas :shown .byFig Y`4z having "a casing-'215 with 'aholglow zconicalfsstem,

eclissi -is fpiaccc anc 1 intowhich"thereinfcrcingmatea plunger 28 in the casing. By forcing it under pressure from the casing, it tends to spread throughout the pores and openings adjacent to the formed hole and to reinforce it in this manner.

To provide a multiple machine for accomplishing a similar result, a casing 30 as shown in Figs. and 6V has a plurality of hollow conical projections 31 open Yat their extremities into which similar conical points 32 are inserted, the extremities of the points projecting beyond the hollow projections 3l. These points 32 are mounted upon a plunger 33 movable somewhat closely in the container and operated by an upwardly projecting plunger bar 34. Adjacent the bottom at one side of the container is a by-pass 35 having a valve 36 therein, the by-pass to extend around the plunger in a lowered position to admit a quantity ofthe reinforcing material 24 from the upper or main portion of the container to the space below the plunger 33. The operation of this apparatus will be more clearly understood from Figs. 7, 8 and 9 in which Fig. '7 represents the making of the holes with the projections 3l and the pointed extremities 32 together; Fig. 8

shows the conical projection 3l partially withdrawn from the hole and the reinforcing material 24 passing between the conical projection 3! and the pointed extremities 32 which are partially spaced therefrom; and Fig. 9 showing the conical projection 3l and the pointed extremity entirely removed from the sponge A, the hole 20 filled with the reinforcing material and hardened into a conical plug of reinforcing material which extends into the adjacent pores and ssures of the sponge A.

To introduce the reinforcing material into the sponge under pressure other than of the weight of the reinforcing material, the method illustrated by Figs. l0 and 11 may be utilized. To a block of sponge material A, a multiple awl device 40 is applied having pointed projections 4| for making multiple openings in any surface of the sponge material. formed, the multiple awl is removed, and applied to the surface of the sponge containing the openings is a container 42 having bottom openings 43 corresponding in size and position to the openings in the material A produced by the multiple awl 46. Inside of the container but preferably movable from the outside thereof is a multiple valve plate 44 for closing the openings which also has a plurality of openings 45 movable to register with the openings 43. Within the container 42 is a plunger 46 having means such as a plunger rod 4l for operating it to compress reinforcing material 24 from the container through the openings 45 and 43 from the bottom thereof.

A by-pass 48 with a valve 49 admits any measured quantity of the reinforcing liquid from above the plunger 46 to the lower side thereof so that when the perforated block A is pressed upwardly against the bottom of the receptacle 42, the valve 44 moved to uncover the openings 43, the reinforced material 24 is expelled under pressure into the proper openings 20 of the block.

For some materials such as rubber latex and other heat responsive plastics, it may be desirable or necessary to subject the block A thus filled with reinforcements 23 to the action of heat for setting or curing the reinforcements in place.

-With this construction andmethod of reinforcing, the reinforcing plugs or masses of materialzmay be insertedfrom one side or from all After the openings are y sides of the block or sponge to be reinforced; they may be as shallow or deep as desired; and they may be spaced closely or more remotely depending upon the service to be performed. The reinforcing material may flow in place; it may be pressed into the several openings, or it may be forced under compression into the openings and allowed to harden or set, or even to be heat treated and vulcanized in place.

Although these several methods of reinforcing have been illustrated and described in some detail, these constructions should be regarded by Way of illustration and example and not as a limitation of the invention.

Various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of reinforcing preformed cellulose sponge with latex which comprises forcing separate and independent smaller masses of latex into the sponge and extending into the adjacent communicating pores and fissures, and allowing the latex to harden or set in place.

2. The method of reinforcing preformed cellular sponge with latex which comprises, punching separate openings into the sponge from the surface and removing the punches, filling the openings with latex, and applying pressure to the latex in the openings causing it to flow into the natural sponge pores and ssures in communication with the openings to form independent reinforcing masses.

3. The method of reinforcing a relatively fragile preformed cellulose sponge material with a relatively stronger heat responsive material which comprises, producing separate openings in the sponge extending inwardly from the surface but not through the material, lling the openings with the heat responsive material, applying pressure to the heat responsive material to force it into the natural pores and fissures of the sponge which communicate with the openings, and heating the place causing it to harden or set in independent masses and adhere more firmly to the sponge material.

4. A new article of manufacture comprising a block of cellulose sponge material having openings extending from the outer surface inwardly intersecting and communicating with the internal sponge pores and fissures, and a reinforcing filler of hardening latex inserted into the openings in separate and independent masses for each opening and extending into the pores and ssures and adhering to the inner material of the sponge. Y

WILLIAM E. KAUTENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,180,516 Mcndce Apr. 25, 1916 1,348,259 V/'ilber Aug. 3, 1920 1,447,708 Caifrey Mar. 6, 1923 1,978,620 Brewster Oct. 30, 1934 2,186,050 Vaughn Jan. 9, 1940 2,210,967 Vaughn Aug. 13, 1940 2,232,389 Jurkat Feb. 18, 1941 2,268,403 Kingman Dec.`30, 1941 2,380,762 Jackson July 31, 1945 heat responsive material in 

1. THE METHOD OF REINFORCING PREFORMED CELLULOSE SPONGE WITH LATEX WHICH COMPRISES FORCING SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT SMALLER MASSES OF LATEX INTO THE SPONGE AND EXTENDING INTO THE ADJACENT COMMUNICATING PORES AND FISSURES, AND ALLOWING THE LATEX TO HARDEN OR SET IN PLACE. 